A YOUNG schoolboy is said to be responding well to hospital treatment following a meningitis scare.

The Year 3 pupil of Oldfield Junior School in Vicars Cross was admitted to the Countess of Chester Hospital at the weekend with a suspected strain of the bug.

It is believed he was placed in the hospital's high dependency unit under intense observation after falling ill last Thursday.

His parents had taken him to the hospital on Saturday but he was released and later re-admitted after he continued to feel ill.

The boy, who has not been identified, is now thought to be out of the high dependency unit and responding to treatment.

Parents of pupils at the Green Lane school were issued with letters informing them of the situation on Monday.

They say it is safe for parents to continue sending their children to school as normal following advice from the Countess of Chester's communicable disease unit.

Most schoolchildren have now been immunised against the less serious C-strain of the bug.

Headteacher Brian Gilbert insisted his school had not had a scare.

'This is not a public event. It is a single event with a single child,' he said. 'Nothing has been confirmed. We have passed on reassuring messages to parents after talking to the communicable disease unit at the Countess.'

Dr Philip Mannion, of the hospital's communicable disease unit, said: 'We are aware of a case of presumed bacterial meningitis. The case is doing very well.'